Report revealed

Apr 5, 2014

When Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney declared there were significant technical issues with a CST he was not kidding.We are hardly giving this the green light he famously stated, indicating significant technical issues. We would be no closer to knowing what these technical issues are without the extraordinary revelations in a report unseen by the public and Councillors if not for the persistence of a journalist at the Gold Coast Bulletin.

"As part of the comprehensive assessment process, separate independent consultants have confirmed that, while it would be technically possible to establish a cruise ship terminal in the Broadwater, the capital and operational costs of the terminal and the associated dredging would need to be extensively cross-subsidised by income derived from other developments." (Dep. Prem. Jeff Seeney Hansard 13th Feb 2014)

After the Beattie Gov. had considered a CST and rejected it on technical and environmental grounds in 2006, it was generally understood that Cruise Ships could not safely enter the Gold Coast Seaway in a variety of situations including mild to moderate weather conditions. Since the rejection of the Cruise Ship Terminal all that has happened is the ships have gotten bigger and weather events more intense and less predictable.

Modern ships are massive over 350 metres long and 20 stories high.

So how is it technically possible for ships to enter the Seaway?

This week it was revealed by Paul Weston that a report exists that we and no doubt Councillors were unaware of:

Closure of Seaway to recreational boaties and surfers going to TOS (The Other Side South Stradbroke Island) regarded as the best beachbreak in Australia - at times

Channel widening and deepening to allow larger cruise ships to enter

Several simulation groundings of ships in Seaway trials

Channel Widening to destroy surf Either the Spit side of the Seaway or the South Stradbroke Island side of the Seaway walls (or both) would need to be widened. Both of these spots have a huge significance to local surfers and the general public and are going to be irreversibly altered should this plan proceed. That is clearly the destruction of surf breaks due to widening of the Seaway required to get ships in.Has anyone been informed of this? When were we to find out this information? Any alterations to the sand pumping set-up have the potential to cause an adverse effect on the surf.

Several simulation groundings of ships in Seaway trials"A peer review paper attached to the ARUP report reveals that a simulation report had failed to note or remark several groundings of both the Queen Victoria and Regal Princess when exiting the Seaway in trials." (Paul Weston GCB April 3 2014) view article

Recall the warnings posed in a previous report:

In Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney's letter to Mayor Tom Tate (12th Feb 2014) ASF China Property Consortium and GCCC are required to demonstrate significant community support via a consultation process amongst a lengthy list of requirements. "undertake extensive community consultation and provide evidence of the degree of public support for the scale of development proposed at the Broadwater".

ASF also need to demonstrate they can successfully operate a CST prior to being considered for a Casino licence. "a binding agreement would be reached that any gaming licence granted would be conditional on the prior establishment and ongoing operation of a successful cruise ship terminal"

The Broadwater is a shallow estuary that is precious to the Gold Coast. In 2006 a petition was presented to parliament with 38,000 signatures opposing the the CST (same position as this proposal). The largest petition in Queensland history. There is united community opposition to this proposal. This issue has the largest informed and entrenched opposition to any proposal in the history of the Gold Coast.

A staggering 80 hectares of public land and waterways has been put on the development table with little or no information given to the community or the Councillors - as of writing there is not even a definitive site for the terminal or technical details on the massive land based developments proposed.

This lack of transparency in the decision making processes for the BMP has been forwarded in detailed dossiers to the QLD CMC, Ombudsman and the Minister for Local Government.